pacific palms public school newsletter · read the poem flanders field. it was a moving tribute to...

PACIFIC PALMS PUBLIC SCHOOL NEWSLETTER

17 May 2019

“Quality learning in a safe and happy community”

www.pacificpal‐p.schools.nsw.edu.au

Showing CARE for ourselves, others, learning and our environment. ISSUE 4 | TERM 2 | WEEK 3

RESPECT IS THE KEY WWW.PACIFICPAL-P.SCHOOLS.NSW.EDU.AU 1

OUR STUDENTS EXCEL Anzac Day Dawn Service Our Year 6 Leadership Team attended and represented our school with pride at the ANZAC Day dawn service at the Pacific Palms Community Centre on Thursday 25 April 2019. Our students laid a wreath on behalf of the school in remembrance of those men and women who fought for our country. A special mention goes to Aaris who spoke beautifully when she read the poem Flanders Field. It was a moving tribute to the brave men and women who have fought for Australia in times of conflict. You were all a credit to our school and represented yourselves with respect and honour. ANZAC Day Assembly Our school held its ANZAC Day assembly on Wednesday 1 May. We are so proud of the conduct of our Leadership Team and all students who attended. It was an emotive assembly and we wish to thank Mr Doug Holmes for his moving perspective of ANZAC Day and those who fought in the Vietnam War. Thank you to the students who respectfully laid a wreath in honour of our Anzacs. Lest We Forget

TERM 2 DIARY DATES The following events are happening over the coming weeks:

UP AND COMING EVENTS CALENDAR

Thur, 23 May Assembly at 2 pm in the hall – Celebrating Simultaneous Reading Day and farewelling Mrs Davis. Kindergarten will attend assembly.

Fri, 24 May Visiting Author from 11.20 to 12.20 for selected students

Wed, 29 May Whole school Athletics Carnival on the back oval. Parents welcome to attend.

30 May to 5 June Healthy Harold will be here for the week. All students will attend with their class.

Fri, 31 May Hunter Cross Country for qualifying students

1 & 2 June Junior Art Festival – Art exhibition

Tue, 4 June GRIP Leadership for our Year 6 Leadership Team

Fri, 7 June Zone Girls Soccer Gala Day for selected students

Fri, 7 June Art Festival Opening Night 7 pm to 10 pm – Tickets can be purchased at school

8 & 9 June Pacific Palms Art Festival – Art exhibition and sale. Open from 10 am to 4 pm in the school hall.


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OUR STUDENTS EXCEL Buderus 7’s Rugby League Gala Day On Friday 2 March our junior and senior rugby league teams travelled to Taree for the Buderus 7's Gala Day. The day is hosted by the Australian Rugby League and is all about participation and fun. Many of our players had never played a game of full contact rugby league, though they quickly got the hang of it, making some great tackles and scoring tries. The day was great fun and we are looking forward to it again next year. A big thank you to Nick Montague and Matt Wiltshire who coached teams on the day and to all the parents who came along to support our players and helped with transport. Senior team: Coach ‐ Nick Montague Junior Team: Coach ‐ Matt Wiltshire Back Row – Taj, Swain, Jayden, Harley, Zack, Jett, Jake Back Row – Oscar, Koby, Sione, Ethan, Hunter Front Row – Vinnie, Beau, Eve, Corey Front Row – Wiley, Jaiden, Jett, Jaspa

PSSA Zone Cross Country On Friday 3 May thirty‐one Pacific Palms students competed in the Zone Cross Country at Wingham with outstanding results in all age groups. As most races fielded 80+ runners, our school was punching well above its weight. The top six placegetters in each race progress through to the Hunter Regional Cross Country on Friday, 31 May at Cessnock. Congratulations to Emily, Ozzy, India, Sione, Marissa, Charlie, Zac, Vinnie and Matt who finished in the top six in their age race and will progress through to the Hunter Regional event this year. A big thank you to all the parents and supporters who helped out on the day – such a fantastic effort. Good luck to the following students who will compete at the Hunter Regional Cross Country.

Back Row – Vinnie, Sione, Matthew, Charlie Front Row – Ozzy, India, Marissa, Emily, Zac


17 May 2019





OUR STUDENTS EXCEL

PSSA Hunter Regional Touch Football Trials Congratulations to Eve who represented Manning at the Hunter Regional Touch Football Trials on Friday 10 May. Eve played five games across the day against other regional teams and scored 2 tries. We are very proud of you Eve for making it this far, a great achievement!

Science & Engineering Challenge Day Stage 3 students attended the Science and Engineering Discovery Day competition in Taree on Wednesday 8 May. Presented by the University of Newcastle, this fun‐filled day provided an opportunity for our students to use critical and creative thinking skills in a collaborative environment as they competed against other schools such as Taree and Barrington. Our students immersed themselves in all the challenging activities, including designing and making a lunar buggy, building an artificial hand, coding through optical fibre, and constructing bridges and chairs. Everyone had a fabulous time and we look forward to another challenge day next year!


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OUR STUDENTS EXCEL


17 May 2019





SCHOOL HAPPENINGS Woolworths Earn and Learn is back! Thank you to all members of the Pacific Palms School community who have been collecting the Woolworths Earn & Learn stickers. The response has been amazing! Please continue to collect these stickers and place them in the box at Forster Woolworths or you can bring them to school and place them in the box at the office.

This fantastic initiative provides the opportunity for our school to choose from a range of Mathematics, English, Creative Arts and Science educational resources to help continue to support learning and engagement throughout our school.

School Photos ‐ MSP Photography – Tuesday 18 June 2019 Our school photo day will be held on Tuesday 18 June 2019. Individually printed school photo envelopes will be handed out to students next week. Please return the envelopes to school prior to photo day. Photo envelopes not returned to the office should be given to the photographer directly on photo day. (Envelopes will not be received at the office on photo day.) If you would like to order sibling photos, envelopes are available from the school

office.

IMPORTANT – please ensure all students are dressed in full school uniform on photo day.

Athletics Carnival – Wednesday 29 May 2019 Our whole school athletics carnival will be held on Wednesday 29 May on the back oval. Students from Kindergarten to Year 6 may come to school dressed in their sport house colours. Parents and grandparents are welcome to attend to encourage and support their children. We look forward to seeing you for an enjoyable day. Parent volunteers will also be required to assist with timekeeping and other duties. If you are unsure of your child’s sports house, please contact the front office.

The P & C will provide a canteen on the day. Your donation of slices, cakes and biscuits would be appreciated. Please deliver them to the oval canteen on the morning of the carnival. Volunteers are also needed in the canteen on the day – even just 15 minutes of your time would be great.


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SCHOOL HAPPENINGS Winter Breakfast Program ‐ Volunteers Needed! We are looking for willing and able volunteers to join in with the happy, healthy, environmentally‐friendly breakfast program Pacific Palms staff and students run for 10 weeks each year. If you are able to help out from 8.00 am to 9.30 am on a Wednesday in our school canteen please contact Breakfast Program organiser Amy Dorfling ([email protected]) to let her know when you are available.

Volunteers needed from 8.00 am ‐ 9:30 am each Wednesday morning for the following dates:

Term 2 Term 3

5 June 24 July

12 June 31 July

19 June 7 August

26 June 14 August

3 July 21 August

Amy will collate all of the volunteers’ preferences and contact you with confirmation of your times. This program has gone from strength to strength each year with community contribution and engagement. We look forward to another successful year.

INFORMATION FOR OUR PARENTS Voluntary Contribution Fee and Resource Levy Statements to families were sent home in Term 1. After consultation with the P & C, the school Voluntary Contribution Fee for 2019 was set at $35 per child, capped at $70 per family. The Resource Levy was set at $50 per student. Thank you to those families that have already paid. Payment can be made at the front office by cash or EFTPOS. Online POP payments can be made on the school website www.pacificpal‐p.schools.nsw.edu.au click on the tab. Adventureland Excursion – Year 3 and Year 4 Deposits for our exciting Stage 2 excursion to Adventureland have now been paid. Parents can continue to make regular payments at any time. Students are getting very excited and are looking forward to our Adventureland excursion in Term 4 from Wednesday 30 October to Friday 1 November 2019. The camp aims to provide our students with an opportunity to interact with their friends outside of school, participate in team building activities, challenge themselves, develop self‐confidence and have some fun! Some of the camp activities include sailing, rock climbing, waterslides as well as a multitude of high ropes, tree top courses, giant swings and flying foxes and so much more. More information will be given out to students as the camp gets closer.


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INFORMATION FOR OUR PARENTS Winter School Uniform With the colder weather here, we would like to remind parents our school winter uniform is:

Girls: School jacket, school shirt, navy tracksuit pants or long navy school pants (not tights). Navy or black stockings under culottes are acceptable.

Boys: School jacket, school shirt, navy tracksuit pants or long grey trousers.

Please ensure your child’s name is written on all clothing. It is very hard to return clothing items when there is no name. SMS Student Absence Notification SMS student absence notifications are sent weekly for any unexplained absences. Parents are required to explain the absences of their children from school promptly and within seven days to the school. An explanation for absence must be provided to the school within 7 days of the first day of any period of absence. Please contact the school by phone, in person, email, note from home and skoolbag. Please feel free to contact the school if you have any attendance concerns regarding your child. The NSW Department of Education School Attendance Policy can be view at https://education.nsw.gov.au/policy‐library/policies/school‐attendance‐policy Safety Tips for Drivers Using a Drop‐off and Pick‐up Zone • Always drop off or pick up your child from the designated zone and follow the school’s procedures. • Drivers should remain in their vehicles at all times in the Drop‐off and Pick‐up zone. • Make sure children use the Safety Door (the rear footpath side door) to get in and out of the car. • Make sure the handbrake is applied when the vehicle is stationery. • Always park legally. • Avoid dangerous manoeuvres such as U‐turns and three‐point turns.


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Art Festival News Youth Art Competition – The offical opening of the Youth Art Exhibition and presentation of the Youth Art Awards will be held on Saturday 2 June at 2 pm followed by afternoon tea. The Youth Art exhibition will also be open on Sunday 2 June from 10 am to 4 pm. Entry is open to children aged 5 to 16 years. All entry forms must be returned by Friday 24 May.

Pacific Palms Art Festival The 27th annual Pacific Palms Art Festival will be held in the school hall over the June long weekend – Saturday 8 June and Sunday 9 June 2019 from 10 am to 4 pm each day. Entry forms are available at the office or on the school website

www.pacificpal‐p.school.nsw.edu.au Opening night tickets for Friday 7 June 2019 from 7 pm are available for purchase at a cost of $35 (includes light supper and drinks) at the front office. Raffle tickets will be going home to all families and are available for purchase at $2 per ticket or 3 tickets for $5. The prize has been donated by 2018 winner Christine Foletti “Xanthorrhoea”. Tickets will be drawn Monday 10 June 2019. The Pacific Palms Art Festival is a major fundraiser for our school and your support is appreciated.

P & C NEWS

FETE

Save the Date ‐ Saturday 26 October 10 am to 2 pm We are looking for 2 parent volunteers from each class to help on the day...this could be for as little as an hour or for the day. There are so many ways to help from setting up in the morning, to helping your child's class stall, to cooking snags on the barbie! If you have some time available or have any questions about volunteering, please get in touch with Fran Gatenby via email at [email protected] Looking forward to hearing from you.


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A MESSAGE FROM THE PRINCIPAL Principal News Times flies when you’re having fun, well we are having plenty of fun and it is halfway through May already! Our school is buzzing at the moment! Students have participated in the Science and Engineering challenge, Mother’s Day stall, zone cross country, NAPLAN, ANZAC Assembly, Green Team projects, enjoyed the arrival of sporting equipment and are collecting earn and learn stickers. Staff is working on student assessments, conducting collaborative consistent teacher judgement sessions and writing reports this term.

NAPLAN This week Year 3 and Year 5 have participated in The National Assessment Program‐ Literacy and Numeracy (NAPLAN) along with their peers across the country. The students were supported by their teachers throughout the assessment process. At Palms, our students always strive for their personal best ‐ a test on one day as a single event can never measure all that makes your child who they are. These assessments are just another activity our students do as part of their learning. Our teachers ensured that our students were as relaxed as possible as they completed the assessments.

We are very proud of our strong academic performance and growth in NAPLAN. We have enjoyed ongoing and continued improvement, and in 2018 PPPS was categorised as ‘Excelling’ in regard to growth/improvement/progress of our students.

Facebook Keep up to date with school events with our Facebook Page. There are lots of great photos of what is happening in our school and updates for important events. It is a CLOSED GROUP Facebook page. There are strict “Rules of Engagement” for being part of this community

and only parents, carers, staff and grandparents are approved to join. In joining our community on Facebook, Pacific Palms Public School follows both the Department of Education (DoE) Code of Conduct and Facebook terms and conditions. Please follow the link if you want to join to keep up with school events, see what's happening in classrooms and the latest canteen and P & C news.

https://www.facebook.com/groups/855254194593370/ School Fundraising Success Our students have been enjoying all the new equipment we purchased during Term 1 from funds raised at the Rainbow Run held last year. The students were surveyed about what they would like to purchase and helped Miss Williams unpack and sort the new deliveries. It has been wonderful to see this equipment in action on the playground. Our students are so active!


17 May 2019





A MESSAGE FROM THE PRINCIPAL Art Festival We look forward to seeing everyone in the coming weekends at the 27th Pacific Palms Art Festival. Thank you to all the students who have entered art work, there is a great collection. Don’t forget to take a ticket in the raffle to be in the running to win the beautiful art work ‘Xanthorrhoea’ by Christine Foletti ‐ 2018 winner of Pacific Palms Art Prize.

P&C Mother’s Day Stall and Raffle We are very fortunate to have such a supportive P & C Association. Thank you for the recent Mother’s Day stall, where students could purchase gifts or donate to the Forster Community Woman’s Shelter. The P&C Mother's Day Raffle had amazing prizes! We had generous donations from Skincare Studio at Blueys, Blueys Beach Natural Health Centre, Drift, Kembali, Heidi Beau, Pacific Palms Pharmacy and two hamper baskets created from gifts purchased by P&C. The lucky prize winners were Alice, Caitlin, Koby, Violet/Ruby, Kaitlyn/Saxon, Kirra and Eve. We hope the winners enjoy their gifts.

Senior Toilet Improvement Project Last term the senior girls’ toilets had an upgrade and splash of colour and this time it was the boys turn. Mrs Shoesmith and Mr Wood have been working hard to add some colour and some inspiration to our bathrooms. They look great. Thank you! Yours in learning, Melissa Merchant Principal

“I like having conversations with kids. Grown‐ups never ask me what my third favourite reptile is!” Simon Holland


17 May 2019





pacific palms public school newsletter · read the poem flanders field. it was a moving tribute to...

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